


Kaiju Playdate

by Hadithi



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Commissioned fic, Gen, kaijuverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23955784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hadithi/pseuds/Hadithi
Summary: Kaiju Steven and Obsidionnie meet for the first time.Inspired by Tunafishprincess's kaijuverse!
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe
Comments: 10
Kudos: 104





	Kaiju Playdate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tunafishprincess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tunafishprincess/gifts).



Like most labs nowadays, the space they were in had a huge lofted ceiling, and plenty of space for a baby kaiju to move around in. It felt empty in a familiar way, clustered around the utilitarian steel table as they exchanged research notes and and predictions for the future. Garnet had come by herself today, hoping not to intimidate the Maheswarans by reasonably presenting their expectations for Steven.

What she found instead was the younger, newer kaiju experiment being surprisingly vicious, already having taken down her first small opponent with minimal damage. Meanwhile, the best they had managed with Steven was him batting away another kaiju while he filed down his tusks on the concrete. There was no way around it - Steven was delicate.

“We’re worried about Connie’s aggression,” Garnet said. It was usually best to be honest and impartial when it came to science, but when children were involved it was better to be tactful. What Garnet wanted to say was that Connie had gone after a small kaiju with the ferocity of a rabid cougar with a rabbit, and that Steven was a gentle soul they’d prefer not to see get ripped apart.

Thankfully, the Maheswarans seemed perfectly content to nod and agree that, yes, Connie was a bit much, rather than leaping to the defense of their biological monster child. Priyanka even laughed a little. “I know she can be intimidating, but I assure you, that’s only on missions and only where we point her. She’s very obedient and she actually loves quiet activities - reading, tea parties, art.”

“We’re just worried about the possibility of a fight,” Garnet said. Quiet time was all well and good, but there was no guarantee that Connie wouldn’t think of Steven as an enemy, and it didn’t look like Connie enjoyed tea parties with her enemies. She calmed the disagreement, tried to provide hope for the future. “We predict that Steven will eventually outpace Connie in size and strength, but at the moment, she’s several feet taller and already seems to be developing powers.”

“We understand and we respect your concerns. We’ve kept so much of our behavioral research private and we’ve kept Connie so isolated that I’m sure you have no idea what to expect,” Priyanka said with a solemn nod and an encouraging look to Doug.

He quickly stepped in, his tone more emotional and empathetic than Priyanka’s had been. “Connie is an experiment, but she’s also our daughter. We’ve been protective. She’s a very sweet, bright girl, even if she looks frightening. The reason why we’ve kept the research hidden is to respect her and her privacy.” His hand took Priyanka’s, squeezing gently. “But if it means finally getting Connie a friend, it’ll be worth it. She shouldn’t have to spend her whole life alone.”

Garnet shook her head and held up her hand. Inside her, Ruby and Sapphire disagreed, a split in her mind between practicality and sentimentality. As always, she found a compromise between the two, “That won’t be necessary. I just wanted reassurance. Let’s arrange a meeting. The two of them out in nature, a wide field, so if they get riled up there won’t be property destruction. Your institute has open land.”

Priyanka nodded. “Connie has a clearing the woods she loves to play in. You could bring him there and we could have food ready for them both, activities planned if they need some encouragement to get along.”

Garnet hummed. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to have them meet inside of Connie’s territory. We should find more neutral ground.”

“She doesn’t have territory issues,” Doug said, wincing at the implication. “She’s more human than kaiju.”

“Then we’ll bring Steven around shortly,” Garnet said, and added with a firm tone that left no room for discussion, “Once we’ve been assured that all the safety measures are in place. I assume that you find this arrangement reasonable.”

They were both frowning a little. Garnet could appreciate that, though she tried to maintain her own veil of professionalism. Sentimentality was hard to avoid, and she did appreciate that they seemed to care for Connie in the same way her own team cared for Steven. Finally, they seemed to reach a quiet agreement between themselves and nodded.

They exchanged contact information and set a date.

* * *

Connie had wanted friends for a while now. Well, she’d always wanted friends really, ever since she found out what friends were from her books and shows. Mom and Dad were very sweet, but she was pretty sure they weren’t friends. She had a lot of toys, which were very fun but not friends. She had imaginary friends from her storybooks, but she was pretty sure that even that wasn’t the same as having a real friend.

She understood why she couldn’t meet with other kids, of course. Compared to Mom and Dad she was already giant and she was only eleven years old. A kid her own age would be a speck. She was dangerous even if she promised to be very gentle and even held eggs sometimes to prove she could be very careful. She barely ever broke the egg, but she understood why even one broken egg meant she couldn’t hang out with kids, even though kids were much sturdier than eggs.

Besides, a kid her age would just be afraid of her even if she didn’t hurt them at all. She had too many arms, and she was too big, and when she looked at herself in the cool, still lake she could tell that she only looked mostly human, unlike the kids on TV.

But Steven was her age and her size and a monster like she was. Well, he was a little older and a little smaller, but that was alright. They were close enough that everything was going to be okay. All she had to worry about was not being too strange or too scary, even for another kaiju. She thought he looked scarier than her, so maybe he wouldn’t be spooked off after all, as long as she was nice and friendly.

“You have to be very, very careful,” Mom was saying firmly. Mom was always nervous about this kind of thing, but now she was being extra stern, laying on the rules thick. The last time she was this wound up was Connie’s first fight. “Even if you think he’s as strong as you are, you can’t risk hurting him. If he gets hurt, his parents won’t bring him anymore. He’s not like the kaiju you fight.”

Connie nodded, eyes shining with determination. She clenched all four of her firsts, heart thudding with excitement. A friend. All she had to do was be nice and she would have a friend by the end of the day. “Yes, ma’am. I promise!”

* * *

Steven had a lot of friends. Or, at least, he thought they were friends. Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst weren’t his mom, after all. Greg was his dad. Sometimes Lars and Sadie came over to talk to him, or other people from around town. But they were always so small, and he couldn’t really touch them or hug them or anything.

According to Garnet, Connie was _huge_. His size. Giddy excitement had been buzzing in him for the past week since he found out he’d finally get to meet another kaiju like him. He’d been racing around the beach, swimming in the ocean, anything to get all the nervous energy out as he waited for his first real friend.

The team didn’t seem as excited as he was, though.

“Steven,” Garnet said, gesturing to the projection screen they had installed for him on the beach. “We’re going to show you a video of what Connie is like fighting a dangerous kaiju. She wants to protect Earth just like you do, but she likes to fight.”

Pearl leapt in, trying her best to smile though he could see the nervousness in her eyes. “Steven, it might be a little scary for you to see, but it’s important. You need to be ready for anything.”

Steven nodded, delicately cradling Lion to his chest. He was very careful to support his haunches, as Pearl had scolded many times before that it wasn’t nice to let him dangle (though he still forgot sometimes). “You said that she’s kind of scary. Not scary like me, but more…” He laughed a little, letting out his best roar. Lion grumpily looked up at the young boy, and Steven placed a delicate kiss on his head.

Amethyst rolled her eyes from her lawn chair, arms crossed. “Yeah. She’s a real killer compared to you, Ste-man. We wanna make sure you know what’s coming so you don’t get sideswiped and taken out in the first couple minutes.”

His eyes went wide. “I thought you said she was nice like me!”

“We _did_ , because she _is_.” Pearl glared at the younger girl, who grinned smugly back. 

“But Amethyst said-”

“Don’t mind Amethyst.” Pearl looked up at him, coming to his leg to stroke it reassuringly. “Steven, everything we’ve researched says that Connie really is like you. But you know how we worry about you with your pacifism. We want you to be careful when you’re with her.”

“I will be!” he said, puffing out his chest. “I promise, Pearl, I’m gonna be a great defender of Earth someday, just like all of you guys. Even if Connie turns out to be mean, I’ll protect myself, or I’ll run away. I can do it.”

The Connie in the video was scarier than he thought, though. He tried to hide how spooky it was to see someone like him, not gently pushing away the monster, but tackling it, growling and ripping into it until it was limp on the ground, only to return to her team with an eager smile and laugh as they cleaned off neon-green alien blood.

Steven swallowed hard and wondered if that was really what he was supposed to do.

* * *

Connie worried that when Steven appeared in her field, she would be everything they worried about. She worried that the adrenaline and anger that spiked when she saw a kaiju on the battlefield would hit her all at once, that she’d turn into a monster and tackle him, keeping him out of her _territory_ like some kind of wild animal.

But when she saw the pink boy, all she could do was smile and think about how adorable he was, about how he was just the right size to hug, and how she really hoped that he would like reading and tea parties, because that was pretty much all she did outside of training. She didn’t even notice the nervous faces from both teams, or the relief.

Steven crossed the field quickly, rushing up to her with a smile that seemed too big for his face as he held out his hand. “I’m CPD2. But everyone calls me Steven. Numbers aren’t really a name.”

She loved his voice, and she tried not to sound too silly as she said, “I’m Obsidian, but all my friends call me Connie.” That was, of course, a lie. But it was the kind of thing she always imagined saying to a new friend, and the kind of thing she would ask all her friends to call her, and it sounded very normal. If Steven had friends, she should definitely pretend to have some as well.

Their hands shook, and Connie felt her heart bounce in her chest. The same size! It was so cool to see her hand shaking someone else’s, just like her parents shook hands with people instead of having to settle for a finger or a wave. She giggled as she saw his face, his own eyes wide with excitement. He must be thinking the same thing, must be just as excited as she was for the chance.

“Wh-what do you do for fun?” he asked eagerly.

“Oh, um, lots of things,” she said, pulling back a little. Her parents had told her all about his size and speed and how big he’d get one day, but they hadn’t brought up any hobbies. She tried to sound interesting. “I read a lot. I-I like all kinds of books. Adventure. Fantasy. Boats.”

Connie referred to her many reference books on making friends that she had read in preparation for this meeting, and recalled that the nice thing to do was to ask a bunch of questions. “But let’s talk about you! What do you like to do for fun?”

“Oh! Um… I like chewing on buildings? And scraping them up.” He rubbed his horns self consciously, and Connie wished she could do the same. He had felt a little cold compared to her, but she had always run hot. She didn’t have hard horns or tusks or spikes, but they seemed like they would be fun to touch. “They grow a lot if I don’t wear them down.”

“Like a chipmunk!” she said with a little giggle. She put her arms behind her back as she blushed a little. “Steven, I think that’s really cute. I like them.”

“Thanks.” He blushed. “People don’t usually call it cute.”

“I think it’s adorable,” she said sweetly. She’d always wished people would call her cute instead of scary. But, more questions - probably less questions about what he looked like. She had never liked people pointing that out about her. Instead, she gestured to the pet he had brought along with him, the pink lion sleeping not too far from them. “Who’s that?”

“Oh! That’s my pet lion. I like to play fetch with him!” Steven grinned and raced to a tree, ripping off a branch with a thunderous crack. He gave it a toss, not too far, and both Connie and Lion watched it sail away. Neither moved a muscle to fetch it. Steven continued on as if it hadn’t happened, sounding only slightly awkward, “Or sometimes I pretend I’m a chef cooking up a fancy meal for everyone, and Lion is my audience.”

“That sounds like fun,” she giggled, imagining serving Lion some very, very fancy cat food. She stepped closer to him again, hoping she had asked enough questions that talking about herself wouldn’t be too rude. “I like to pretend I’m Lisa from the Unfamiliar Familiar. I have a fake sword that my Mom and Dad gave me to play with. They think someday I’ll be able to summon a real one, but I can-!”

Everyone went quiet as the kaiju sirens started going off in the distance. Connie bit back a groan of frustration. Another attack? On today of all days? At least Steven looked disappointed too. And, surprisingly, a little bit scared. It seemed so strange that a kaiju hybrid like her that was supposed to be so powerful would be spooked by an attack.

“It was a good first meeting,” Doug said as the teams raced up to them. “Connie, we’ll ship you out to the site. The kaiju should be small enough for you to handle.”

Pearl nodded. “Steven, we’ll take you home. We can talk about trying another meeting soon.”

“Wait!” Steven squeaked, looking nervously to Connie then back to Pearl. “I don’t want to go. What if I fought with her? The two of us together have a better chance of stopping the kaiju without anyone getting hurt, right?”

“You _want_ to fight?” Amethyst asked, eyes wide.

Steven nodded, and the kids stood by as their teams huddled together, discussing, debating, and the next thing they knew the two of them were being hauled off in transports, loaded to a drop site just a twenty-minute speeding drive down the highway. They tumbled out of their containers into the empty streets, a rampaging kaiju blowing down buildings not far ahead.

Connie and Steven exchanged a wordless, nervous glance, then raced down the evacuated town to meet with the other monster. It was round, almost a ball in shape, but as they approached they could see the painful-looking spikes that covered it from head to toe. Connie winced at how it would feel to fight it, but there wasn’t a way around it. She still couldn’t summon a sword.

“What’s wrong?” Steven asked, eyes wide. “Haven’t you taken down kaiju before?”

“Not one so spiky. It’s gonna hurt when I attack him,” she mumbled.

She blinked as shining light appeared on his arm, a round, hardlight shield that he handed to her with a smile. “What if you threw this at him? Or bashed him with it? That way you wouldn’t get hurt and, um… and I don’t have to hurt him.”

“Really?” She took it, feeling the buzzing energy seep into all four of her palms as she held it to her chest. “I can really use it? But it’s your weapon. I don’t want to take all the credit when you’re the one who summoned it.”

Steven giggled. “I, um, would definitely like you to do it instead of me.”

“If you say so.”

She shrugged, and tried to make the ensuing gore end quickly. A sword would make things quick - a slicing weapon was clean and fast. A big, round, dull shield was for bashing - just like her fists. The fight that followed was unsanitary to say the least, with blue blood coating the nearby buildings, Steven’s shield, and her own body as she tried as best she could to dispose of the monster.

And, while she’d usually rush straight back to her parents for their praise and adoration, Connie instead jumped into the sea the moment the shield vanished from her hands, cleaning herself off in the brine and coming back to Steven’s side with an awkward smile. “I’m, uh, sorry that was so gross. And kind of monstery.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, that’s what we’re supposed to do, right? At least you like fighting. I’m just a coward.”

She shook her head. “I don’t like it either. It’s scary and mean and gross. I only do it because I’m supposed to. We have to protect Earth, and I want my parents to be proud of me.”

“We really are a lot alike!” he gushed, and his hand reached out for hers.

For a split second, light crept up their hands - white and pretty and warm, before flickering out into nothing. The two stared, open-mouthed at the spot where they were sure fusion had almost happened. But they hadn’t thought they’d be able to fuse so quickly, hadn’t imagined they’d be able to do it at all with all the human DNA tangled up.

But with both their teams talking eagerly behind them, talking about science and data and exciting new opportunities, Connie and Steven could only grin at each other brightly, concluding at the same time, “More playdates.”


End file.
